Method and system of using a multifunction printer to identify pages having a text string

ABSTRACT

A method is directed to using a multifunction printer to identify pages of a printed document that have a specified text string. The method comprises electronically converting, with the multifunction printer, a plurality of pages of the printed document to a plurality of electronic text pages corresponding to the printed pages. The multifunction printer electronically searches the plurality of electronic text pages to identify which electronic text pages include the specified text string. The multifunction printer then communicates the identified electronic text pages to the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] With the advent of computers, society expected to gain masteryover its information. Hope abounded that we could see a paperlessoffice, and that we could readily find any information that existed innearly unlimited forms of delivery.

[0002] However, we have learned that people still enjoy reading onprinted paper. We also have learned that because we read and handle somuch information, we frequently remember reading something important tous, but cannot remember where we read it. We then become frustrated inour desire to quickly access the particular source or document where weremember seeing the topic of interest. If an electronic copy of thedocument or source exists, then we can perform an electronic keywordsearch with a computer to reveal the desired document and/or passage oftext. However, an electronic copy of the document may not be availableto facilitate electronic keyword searching and a computer is not alwaysavailable to assist in that process.

[0003] Accordingly, in some respects, the information age appears tohave made access to information less convenient, rather than moreconvenient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] A method of the present invention is directed to using amultifunction printer to identify pages of a printed document that haveat least one specified text string. One embodiment of the methodcomprises electronically converting, with the multifunction printer, aplurality of pages of the printed document to a plurality of electronictext pages corresponding to the printed pages. The multifunction printerelectronically searches the plurality of electronic text pages toidentify which electronic text pages include the at least one specifiedtext string. The multifunction printer then communicates the identifiedelectronic text pages to the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005]FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a method of using amultifunction printer to identifying pages of a printed document thathave a specified text string, according to an embodiment of the presentinvention.

[0006]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a multifunction printer, according toan embodiment of the present invention.

[0007]FIG. 3 is block diagram of a text search manager, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

[0008]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method of identifying printeddocument pages, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009]FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method of identifying printeddocument pages, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] In the following detailed description of the preferredembodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form apart hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specificembodiments in which the invention may be practiced. Other embodimentsmay be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. The followingdetailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense,and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appendedclaims. Finally, although a flow chart in the figures of thisapplication show a specific order of execution, the order of executionmay differ from that what is depicted. All such variations are withinthe scope of the present invention.

[0011] One exemplary embodiment of the present invention is showngenerally in FIG. 1 as system and method 10. In method 10, printeddocument 12 is scanned by scanner 20 of multifunction 14 and processedby optical character recognition processes (shown later in FIG. 2) toproduce electronic text pages corresponding to printed pages 13 ofprinted document 12 (as shown by directional arrow 1). Using text string16 (e.g., “APPLE PIE AND BASEBALL”) entered at user interface 22 viakeypad 24 and display 26, multifunction printer 14 searches theelectronic text pages (not shown) to identify those pages that includetext string 16 (as shown by directional arrow 2). Multifunction printer14 then prints only the identified electronic text pages that includetext string 16 as printed pages 18 (as shown by directional arrow 3).Alternatively, multifunction printer 14 is equipped to digitally sendthe identified electronic text pages as electronic mail message 28 (asshown by directional arrow 4), or to print summary page 29 that list theidentified electronic pages by page numbers or other means (as shown bydirectional arrow 5).

[0012] Accordingly, method 10 of the present invention permitsmultifunction printer 14 to search through multiple pages 13 of printeddocument 12 for a particular text string(s) 16 and then print out onlythose pages that include text string 16. Method 10 is performedindependent of a computing device, although communication with orconnection to a computing device is not precluded.

[0013]FIG. 2 illustrates multifunction printer 14 in greater detail. Asshown in FIG. 2, multifunction printer 14 includes scanner 20, userinterface 22, printing mechanism 50, memory 52, controller 54, anddigital sender 57.

[0014] Printing mechanism 50 comprises a well-known printer technologyfor printing pages from electronic text files 62 stored in memory 52.

[0015] Memory 52 includes one or more text strings 16, one or moredigital image files 60, and one or more electronic text files 62. Memory52 is configured as long-term memory 64 or as short-term memory inbuffer 66. In particular, long term memory 64 is used to keep a digitalimage file 60 or electronic text file 62 for an extended period of timebeyond the immediate time required to apply method 10 of the presentinvention to produce printed pages 18 having text string 16. Buffer 66of memory 52 acts as short term memory for holding data related toscanning and/or optical character recognition, as well as for storingdigital image files 60 and/or electronic text files 62, for a period oftime just long enough to produce printed pages 18 having text string 16.Memory 52 also optionally stores electronic mail addresses 84 for use indigitally sending (via digital sender 57) identified electronic textpages that include text string 16 to a desired user.

[0016] Memory 52 of multifunction printer 12 comprises computer readablemedia, stores any related software, and can include any combination ofvolatile or non-volatile memory, such as floppy disks, hard disks,CD-ROMs, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), and random access memory(RAM).

[0017] Controller 54 of multifunction printer 14 directs operation ofall components and functions of printer 12, and optionally comprises anyone of, or all of, scan function 70, print function 72, and opticalcharacter recognition function 74. Controller 54 preferably includeshardware, software, firmware or combination of these. In one preferredembodiment, controller 54 includes a microprocessor-based system orother system capable of performing a sequence of logical operation andincluding memory for storing information. Alternatively, controller 54is incorporated into an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)which includes hardware, software, and/or firmware for providing scanfunction 70, print function 72, and/or optical character recognition(OCR) function 74.

[0018] Search manager 56 is stored in memory 52 and is accessible viauser interface 22. Search manager 56 acts in cooperation with controller54 to carry out functions of multifunction printer 14 related toidentifying printed pages 13 of printed document 12 having text string16.

[0019] Search manager 56 comprises, among other things, text searcher 80and optical character recognizer 82. Text searcher 80 performs searchingfor alphanumeric or symbolic characters in an electronic text file 62 toidentify one or more text strings 16 in one or more pages 63 ofelectronic text file 62. Optical character recognizer 82 cooperates withOCR function 74 of controller 54 to convert digital image file 60,obtained from scanner 20 and scan function 70, into electronic text file62. Search manager 56 is described in greater detail in association withFIG. 3.

[0020] User interface 22 of multifunction printer 14 is used to accessand manage all of the conventional features of multifunction printer 14(e.g., start printing, stop printing, etc.), as well as for reviewingand managing features of multifunction printer 14 in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention, such as searching for text string16 in printed document 12.

[0021] User interface 22 comprises keypad 24, display 26, optionaltouchscreen input 90, print function 92, save function 94, andelectronic mail function 96. Keypad 24 permits entry of alphanumericand/or symbolic characters to form text string 16 that will be used bytext searcher function 80 of search manager 56. Display 26 shows resultsof use of keypad 24 and the status of functions of multifunction printer14, including search manager 56. Touchscreen input 90 is optionallyprovided as part of display 26 to permit operation of functions ofmultifunction printer 14 through display 26 and to permit entry of textstring 16.

[0022] Print function 92 of user interface 22 permits activation ofprinting mechanism 50 while save function 94 permits storage of digitalimage file 60 (from scanning) and/or electronic text file 62 (fromoptical character recognition) in memory 52. Print function 92 isfurther used, in cooperation with search manager 56, to specify that theresults of the text string search of printed document 12 are to beprinted as pages 18. Alternatively, electronic mail (email) function 96is used, in cooperation with search manager 56, to specify that resultsof text string search of printed document 12 are to be digitally sentfrom multifunction printer 14 as an electronic mail message 28 using anelectronic mail address 84 (from memory 52), which is entered by keypad24 or retrieved from memory 52.

[0023]FIG. 3 illustrates search manager 56 in greater detail. As shownin FIG. 3, search manager 56 comprises optical character recognizer 82,and text searcher 80, which is configured for specifying one or moretext strings to be searched, such as text string 110 and text string112. Text searcher 80 also comprises highlight function 114 forindicating that text string 16 be highlighted (e.g., italicized,underlined, made bold) when pages 18 are printed or emailed so that itis easier for a user to find text string in printed pages 18.

[0024] Search manager 56 cooperates with controller 54 to operate selectfunctions of controller 54, such as scan function 70, print function 72,and OCR function 76, as well as to implement text search function 82 forkeyword and/or character searching.

[0025] Search manager 56 also comprises page handler 120 includingseparate function 122, collective function 124, and concurrent function126. Page handler function 120 cooperates with optical characterrecognition function 82 and text searcher functions 82 to instruct textsearch manager 56 on when and how to implement those functions 80, 82.

[0026] Separate function 122 of page handler function 120 permits a userto request that, in the steps of scanning, optical characterrecognition, and printing in method 10, each page of printed document 12will be handled separately by multifunction printer 14. In other words,a single page of printed document 12 is scanned separately to create itsown digital image file and then only that page is submitted for opticalcharacter recognition to produce an electronic text page, and finallythe text string search is applied to that single electronic text pageand printed if that page includes the specified text string. Eachsubsequent page 13 of printed document 12 is handled in this manner,effectively processing pages 13 of printed document 12 in series.

[0027] Collective function 124 of page handler 120 permits a user torequest that, in the steps of scanning, optical character recognition,and printing in method 10, all of the pages of printed document 12 arehandled together by multifunction printer 14. In other words, all of thepages 13 of printed document 12 are scanned together to create a singledigital image file (including all of the scanned pages) and then all ofthe pages are submitted together for optical character recognition toproduce electronic text file 62 including a corresponding electronicversion of all of the pages 13 of printed document 12. Finally the textstring search is applied to all of the pages 63 of electronic text file62 and then only those pages including specified text string 16 areprinted. Accordingly, collective function 124 causes multifunctionprinter 14 to process all of the pages 13 of printed document 12 in onebatch.

[0028] Concurrent function 126 of page handler 120 permits a user todirect the optical character recognizer 82, printing mechanism 50, andscanner to operate concurrently. For example, one page can be processedby optical character recognition function 82 while another page is beingscanned, and yet a different electronic text page is being printed. Thisfeature causes immediate printing of positive results of identifiedpages (those pages having text string 16) so that the user need not waitfor all the pages to be scanned and/or optically recognized before pageswith the text string are printed.

[0029]FIG. 4 is a flow diagram schematically illustrating method 180 ofthe present invention for using a multifunction printer to search for atext string in a printed document, independent of a computing device,and then print only those pages of the printed document that include thetext string.

[0030] Method 180 comprises electronically converting, with amultifunction printer 14, a plurality of printed pages 13 of printeddocument 12 into a plurality of electronic text pages 63 correspondingto the printed pages 13 (shown by box 182). This aspect of method 180 istypically performed by first scanning the plurality of printed pageswith scanner 20 of multifunction printer 14 (FIG. 1) to produce digitalimage file 60, and then performing an optical character recognitionfunction 74,82 on digital image file 60 to produce a plurality ofelectronic text pages 63 (FIG. 2) corresponding to the plurality ofpages 13 of printed document 12.

[0031] Multifunction printer 14 is also used to electronically search ineach page of the electronic text pages 63 for at least one text string16 (shown by box 184). This aspect of method 180 also includesspecifying or entering into user interface 22 of multifunction printer14 the text string 16 on which the electronic search will be performed(FIG. 1). Entering text string 16 into multifunction printer 14 can beperformed before, during, or after electronically converting printeddocument 12.

[0032] As shown in box 186, method 180 also includes using multifunctionprinter 14 to print each electronic text page 63 that includes the oneor more specified text strings 16 as a printed page 18 (FIG. 1). As alsoshown in box 188, instead of, or in addition to, printing the identifiedpages 18, multifunction printer 14 also optionally is used to digitallysend the identified electronic text pages 63 that include the one ormore text strings 16 as an electronic mail message 28 (see FIG. 1). Ineither capacity, multifunction printer 14 communicates the results ofthe text search to user regarding which pages 13 have text string 16.This communication optionally includes, as shown in FIG. 1, printingsummary page 29 detailing those results rather than printing eachidentified page in which text string 16 was found.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 5, method 200 of the present invention presentsa more detailed aspect of identifying printed document pages, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As illustratedat 202, method 200 includes loading printed document 12 of a pluralityof pages 13 into multifunction printer 14 for scanning (FIG. 1). Asillustrated at 204, via a user interface 22 of multifunction printer 14,text string(s) 16 is specified for identification in the individualpages 13 of printed document 12 (FIG. 1). This aspect of method 200optionally includes specifying more than one text string 16 foridentification in the pages 13 of printed document 12 (box 206).

[0034] As illustrated at 208, method 200 further comprises scanning theprinted pages 13 with scanner 20 of multifunction printer 14 to producedigital image file 60 of printed pages 13.

[0035] As illustrated at 210, multifunction printer 14 then performs anoptical character recognition function on the digital image file(s) toproduce an electronic text file 62 of a plurality of electronic textpages 63. This function optionally includes performing the opticalcharacter recognition function on each page of digital image file 60separately from the other pages of the digital image file 60 (asillustrated at 212).

[0036] Using multifunction printer 14, the entire electronic text file62 or electronic text page(s) 63 are searched to identify whether theyinclude the specified one or more text strings 16 (as illustrated at214). This aspect of method 200 optionally comprises searching for textstring(s) 16 on each page 63 of electronic text file 62 separately fromthe other pages 63 of the electronic text file 62 (as illustrated at216).

[0037] As illustrated at 218, after all the electronic text pages 63that include text string 16 have been identified through electronicsearching, multifunction printer 14 then either prints the identifiedelectronic text pages 63 as printed pages 18 or digitally sends theidentified electronic text pages 63 as an electronic mail message 28 toa specified electronic mail address 84 (FIG. 1). This aspect of method200 optionally includes printing or electronically mailing eachelectronic text page 63, that includes text string 16, as soon as thosepages are identified through searching (box 220).

[0038] A method and system of the present invention is directed to usinga multifunction printer, independent of a computing device, to identifypages of a printed document that include a text string and then printonly those identified pages with the multifunction printer. This methodand system of the present invention saves a user from having to thumbthrough many pages of a printed document to find a particular passage oftext or text string of interest. Moreover, this result is obtainedwithout the use of a computing device connected to the multifunctionprinter.

[0039] While specific embodiments have been illustrated and described,herein for purposes of description of the preferred embodiment, it willbe appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a wide varietyof alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted forthe specific embodiments shown and described without departing from thescope of the present invention. Those with skill in the chemical,mechanical, electromechanical, electrical, and computer arts willreadily appreciate that the present invention may be implemented in avery wide variety of embodiments. This application is intended to coverany adaptations or variations of the preferred embodiments discussedherein. Therefore, it is manifestly intended that this invention belimited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of using a multifunction printercomprising: electronically converting, via the multifunction printer, aplurality of printed pages to a plurality of electronic text pagescorresponding to the printed pages; electronically searching, via themultifunction printer, in the plurality of electronic text pages toidentify which electronic text pages have at least one specified textstring; and communicating to a user, via the multifunction printer, theidentified electronic text pages that include the at least one specifiedtext string.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating theidentified electronic text pages comprises at least one of: printing,via the multifunction printer, the identified electronic text pages;digitally sending, via the multifunction printer, the identifiedelectronic text pages as an electronic mail message; and printing, viathe multifunction printer, a summary page that identifies the pages thatinclude the text string.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein electronicallyconverting comprises: scanning the plurality of pages of the printeddocument via the multifunction printer to produce a digital image file;and performing an optical character recognition function on each of thedigital image file to produce a plurality of electronic text pages whichcorrespond to the plurality of pages of the printed document.
 4. Themethod of claim 3 wherein scanning the digital image file comprisesproducing a plurality of digital image pages, with each digital imagepage corresponding to each page of the printed document; and whereinperforming the optical character recognition function comprisesperforming the optical character recognition function on each of thedigital image pages to produce a plurality of electronic text pagescorresponding to the pages of the printed document;
 5. The method ofclaim 1 wherein electronically searching comprises: specifying, to auser interface of the multifunction printer, the text string to beidentified in the printed document.
 6. A method of identifying one ormore pages of a printed document that include at least one specifiedtext string, the method comprising: specifying the at least one textstring, via a user interface of the multifunction printer, that is to beidentified in the printed document; scanning the pages of the printeddocument, via the multifunction printer, to produce a digital image fileof the pages of the printed document; performing, via the multifunctionprinter, an optical character recognition function on the digital imagefile to produce an electronic text file of the pages; electronicallysearching, with the multifunction printer, the electronic text file toidentify electronic text pages of the electronic text file that includethe at least one specified text string; communicating, via themultifunction printer, only the identified electronic text pages thatinclude the at least one specified text string.
 7. The method of claim 6wherein communicating only the identified pages comprises at least oneof: printing the identified electronic text pages via the multifunctionprinter; digitally sending the identified electronic text pages, via themultifunction printer, as an electronic mail message; and printing asummary of the identified electronic text pages via the multifunctionprinter.
 8. The method of claim 6 wherein scanning the pages includesscanning each page separately so that each page produces a separatedigital image file.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein performing anoptical character recognition function comprises performing the opticalcharacter recognition function on each page of the digital image file toproduce a separate electronic text page for each page of the printeddocument.
 10. The method of claim 6 wherein communicating comprisesprinting, via the multifunction printer, each page as soon as it isidentified by the electronic search as having the at least one specifiedtext string.
 11. A multifunction printer comprising: a scannerconfigured for converting a plurality of printed pages of a printeddocument to a plurality of electronic page images corresponding to theprinted pages; a memory configured to store a search manager, which isconfigured to direct an optical character recognition of the electronicpage images as electronic text pages and configured to direct electronicsearching for at least one text string in the plurality of electronictext pages; and a printing mechanism configured for printing theelectronic text pages that include the at least one text string.
 12. Themultifunction printer of claim 11 and further comprising: a controllerincluding an optical character recognition function of the electronicpage images as electronic text pages; and a user interface including: akey pad configured to receive alphanumeric or symbolic text strings; anda display configured for displaying functions of multifunction printerincluding display of text string being searched.
 13. The multifunctionprinter of claim 12 wherein the user interface further comprises: anelectronic mail function configured to permit specifying an electronicmail address to which identified electronic text pages that include thetext string will be digitally sent by multifunction printer; a printfunction configured to permit specifying that the identified electronictext pages that include the text string be printed by multifunctionprinter as printed pages; and a save function configured to permitspecifying that the identified electronic text pages be saved in thememory of the multifunction printer.
 14. A multifunction printercomprising: a scanner configured for producing a digital image file of aprinted document; an optical character recognition function configuredfor optically recognizing text characters in the digital image file toproduce an electronic text file; a user interface configured forspecifying a text string to be identified in one or more pages of theelectronic text file; a text search manager configured for searching theelectronic text file to identify one or more pages of the electronictext file that include the text string; a memory configured for storingthe electronic text file and the identified pages of the electronic textfile that include the text string; and a printing mechanism configuredfor printing the identified pages that include the text string.
 15. Themultifunction printer of claim 14 wherein the optical characterrecognition function is stored in at least one of the memory, acontroller, and an application specific integrated circuit.
 16. A textsearch manager of a multifunction printer comprising: a text searcherfunction configured for specifying one or more text strings to beidentified in one or more electronic text pages corresponding to one ormore pages of a printed document and configured for searching for theone or more text strings in the electronic text pages; an opticalcharacter recognition function configured for optically recognizing textcharacters of a digital image file to produce the one or more electronictext pages; and a page handler function configured for specifyingwhether the optical character recognition function and the text searcherfunction are employed separately on each page, employed collectively onall of the pages, or concurrently.
 17. A multifunction printercomprising: means for converting one or more printed pages of a printeddocument into an electronic text file; means for searching for at leastone text string within the electronic text file to identify pages withinthe electronic text file that have the at least one text string; andmeans for selectively communicating to a user identified pages ofelectronic text file that have the at least one text string.
 18. Themultifunction printer of claim 17 wherein the means for selectivelycommunicating comprises at least one of: means for printing theidentified pages; and means for digitally sending the identified pagesas an electronic mail message.
 19. The multifunction printer of claim 18wherein the means for converting comprises: means for obtaining adigital image of the printed pages; and means for converting the digitalimage into a plurality of electronic text pages corresponding to theprinted pages.
 20. The multifunction printer of claim 19 wherein themeans for obtaining a digital image includes a scanner and the means forconverting the digital image includes an optical character recognitionfunction.
 21. A computer-readable medium having computer-executableinstructions for performing a method of identifying pages within aplurality of pages of a printed document that include at least one textstring, the method comprising: obtaining a digital image file of theplurality of pages of the printed document; converting the digital imagefile to an electronic text file including a plurality of electronic textpages corresponding to the plurality of pages of the printed document;searching the plurality of electronic text pages to identify whichelectronic text page includes the at least one text string; andcommunicating to a user which electronic text pages include the at leastone text string.